Football card game



Feb. 1, 1949. 5|LER FOOTBALL CARD GAME 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 30, 1946 INVENTOR .75. 5/4 6/8 dlwaw ATTORNEY Feb. 1, 1949. B, slLER 2,460,541

FOOTBALL CARD GAME I Filed Jan. 30, 1946 I z Sheets-Sheet 2 {q INVENTOR ATTO R N EY Feb. 1, 1949. 1'. B. SILER 2,460,541

- F-OOTBALL CARD GAME Filed Jan. 30, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 YARDS TO GO NOJLHYS SCORE TERM 1 Z 5 4 Term.

ATTO RN EY Patented Feb. 1, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE v FOOTBALL CARD GAME Thomas Barton Silcr, Atlanta, Ga.

Application January 30, 1946, Serial No. 644,398

6 Claims. 1

This invention relates to an amusement device and particularly to a game apparatus of the character of a football game.

7 One of the objects of this invention is the provision :of a graph or chart simulating the conventional football field, and a plurality of cards or similar units provided with various legends indicating various football plays.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a chart simulating a conventional football field and upon which a game may be played with cards inscribed with various football plays and an indicator is movable upon said chart and adapted to record the progress or retrogression of the game with respect to each team.

A further object of thisinvention is the pro vision of a chart simulating the conventional football field and being provided with a slot into which is disposed a grooved board also simulating a portion of said field and which is adapted to be actuated in said slot. The grooves in said board are respectively adapted to accommodate and position players in various football formations desired by the contestants of each team.

Other objects and features will more fully ap pear from the following description and accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the chart and movable board; Fig. 2 is a view similar to that of Fig. 1 but with the board removed; Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the chart and board; Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken through lines 33 of Fig. 3, and perceiving in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 5 is a view of the score board; Fig. 6 is a view of a football player disposed in a groove of said board; and Figs. 7 and 8 are views of cards showing legends. 1

Referring to the drawings a chart I consists of a flat member having designed on the face thereof a conventional football field. A slot 2 is disposed in the chart and adapted to accommodate a board 3 graduated in similar fashion to the present day football field. The graduations on said board consist of. grooves 4 which serve to accommodate players 5 as well as graduate the playing field. On either side of the fiftyyard line (Fig. 3) a plurality of grooves are disposed in close proximity thereto so as to provide means whereby the opposing teams may adopt any desired team formation.

A track 6 is disposed in the chart alongside the graduated field and is provided with a marker 1 which is movable in said track and utilized to record the movement of the football and other such plays as are well known in the art of football.

' cards 51 and 14 in Figs. 7 and 8) are:

A score board 8 is provided with means for keeping the score, tallying the yardage and downs and recording the number of plays; all of which is self-evident in Fig. 5, except the game may be played by the element of time, as now practiced in the usual football game; or by a given number of plays; in which latter case the circle designated: No. plays is used as a substitute for the time element. In other words, the football game is played in four quarters of fifteen minutes each, and applicant provides a substitute for the time element by counting so many plays to a quarter, as for instance, when forty-five plays are completed, this constitutes a quarter of the game.

The players (see Fig. 6) may be marked to designate different well known football teams such as A for Army and N for Navy and may also have individual players names inscribed thereon.

The preferred form of the game requires that a plurality of cards or similar units be employed in playing the game. In the present game sixty cards are used. Applicant has disclosed two of such cards respectively numbered 51 and 14 for particular identification and fully disclosed in Figs. 7 and 8. As is obvious, the cards have a plurality of legendsv thereon; but it is to be noted that such legends are constant and are arranged in a vertical column or series. stance, the constant legends on all cards (see Kickoff, Punt, Punt O. 13., Line buck, Long pass, Short pass, Run after completion, Fumble, Blocked kick, K. 0. Return, Punt return, Quick kick, End

run, Lateral pass, Point after, Field goal and penalty. While all cards bear the aforesaid constantlegends the answers are set beside each legend and respectively in horizontal alignment therewithand said answers are or may be varied. For instance, the constant legend: Kick off may have the numeral 55 beside it on one card while another card may have the numeral 35, each respectively indicating the number of yards the ball was kicked. Similarly the legend: Punt O. B. (out of bounds) may show on one card 25 While another card 30, meaning the ball was punted 25 or 30 yards out of bounds, as the case may be. I

The game may be played by tossing a coin and the side winning the .tossup may elect to kick the ball or receive it. .If the grooved board 3 is used theplayers are placed in the usual kick ofi formation and thereafter may be replaced in scrimmage position; all of which is well known For indowns.

on the scoreboard to show itis the first down and ceiving the kick off takes the top card and perceives the legend; Kick ofi 55 which indi-' cates that the ball was kicked down the field from thekickersec yard linea distance of yards. The receivers having thus received the kick turn the next cardand in accordance with the rules of the game look at the legend: K. 0..

return 8; (kick off returned 8 yards) which means the ball is returned 8 yards from the point 7 received.

With the foregoing plays in mind, if the ball was kicked from the kickers yard line a distance of 35 yards the receiver would take the ball on his 25 yard line and return it a distance of 8 yards which wouldput the ball on the receivers 33 yard line. By sliding the. board to the re ceivers 33 yard line the teams are in position for the. next play.

The team ,withthe ball now on its 33 yard line mustfprog-ress :ten yards infour attempts to make a first down; thus entitlingthem to anotheriour Meanwhile a peg is placed in. Downs ten yards to go; while the hand is moved to the second graduation to show the number of plays (if this is substituted in place of time) consumed in the first quarter. The marker l'is placed on the 33 yards line and extends to the t3 yard mark.

t will now be readily understood that I have provideda very compact and convenient assemblage of chart I and board 3.. The board 3-isslidably located in the slot or valley Z-and is guided by the rais-edmarginal portions of chart I. The raised portions constitute guides for the slidable board. Since the board 3 ispreferably no thicker than the valley Z'is deep it will be most apparent that I have produced a very compact assemblage of chart and board. 7

In the chart I the, floor of the valley 2 is substanti-ally. as. thick as thevalley is deep- Oh the board 3the more nearly centrally 1o When the chart l and board 3 are assembled it= ispreferable that the grooved face of the board 3 be coplanar with the faces of the raised portions, since. the raised portions carry indicia and lines which correspond, in yardage value; to the maj or number ofthe grooves t. I

The chart per 'se is shown' in- Fig; 2 and represents afootball field or gridiron having the yard age lines. and yardage values and goal posts 'marked' or indicated thereon; Figs. 1, 3 andifl disclose both the chart andthe grooved slidable board 3. V r

The team. with the ball, beforeitu'rning. the next card, elects, to line buck and takes. the next card:

and perceives the legend: Line buck T3 which means. the ball carrier went. through. the tackle players position for again of three yards. The Deg in the score board isplaced in the second hole, indicating second down, the hand on yards to go is placed at 1, meaning there are seven yards to be made in the remaining three downs,

the'deck and perceive thelegend Fumble and it' would tell whether it was lost or recovered. The same rule is applicable to the legend: Punt.

Thus if theplayer decides to punt, he lifts the top card" from the deck andrefers to the legend:

.Punt which may have thereafter Blocked such legends'be made'which is'in keeping kick-dost,

covered? The foregoing described plays is the manner in which the game is played and when plays or itv may have Blocked kick-rehave been made. this ends the first quarter and the teams reverse-their positions on the held, and proceed to make the next 45 plays which ends at realistic.

It is obvious from-the' foregoi-ng that the constant legends have varied resultant playsv which are used in the present-football game.

As heretofore pointed out, the board Bumay be removed and the chart also simulates a football field; the main purpose of the board isto contain the players and move them along the field; which provides a more realistic game. the board moves the teams along the field the marker 1 is moved along track 6 to check the yardage. However, when the board is removed,

indicator 9 is used'in its place.

t is to be understood that additional constant legends may be added and various answers to the well known game of football.

Having described this invention, what is claimed is: r

1. In a simulated football game comprising a rectangular chart, said chart being. comparativelyrigid and having raised marginalportions comprising marginal zones-constituting guides, said- 7 chart and its marginal portions defining abroad rectangular valley between said marginalportions, said marginalportions and said valley having lines thereon arranged: transversely thereof, said lines on said valley and on saidmarginal portions being substantially and respective ly' in alignment witheachoither, said-linesba ing substantially 'paralleland suitably spaced;

from each other substantially equal distances,

said marginal porticns'havingindicia thereon to indicate the. relative yardage of spaces :andlines on said chart, in combination with--a:rectangu-- lar' boa-rd, said-board being. a wide as saidvalley and b ing located in said rectangular valley and slid-ably guided by. said raised'marginal por tions, said board having transverse grooves therein to detachably receive. and-support playersin' an upright position when placed therein, themeJ- J'cr number of said 1 grooves beingequally spaced but centrallylocated 1 grooves being; more: closely spaced to providafif-lde'sire'd, a closel-y 'arrangeddisposition or the players; especially in the initial portion of-thegame.

2. The construction set with forth in claim. 1; in 7 positel disposed raised marginal portions, said magin portions constitutingopposed guides and defining a broad rectangularvalley therebetween, said valley and marginal portions having transverselyarranged lines thereon defining respectivelyljj s'ubstantially equal areas whereby all of said individual lines are respectively located substantially in alignment with each other and thereby defining a football field," said marginal portions having indicia thereon to indicate the yardageQvalue of the football field, in combination witli 'a rectangular board as wide as said valley and 'slidably fitted in the valley of said chart and slidably guided by said opposed guides, said board having transversely arranged grooves located therein, the major number of said grooves being substantially parallel and substantially equally spaced from each other but the centrally arranged grooves being more closely arranged than the major number of said grooves, whereby the players, if desired, may be closely arranged in the initial portion of. the game.

4. The construction set forth in claim 3 in which said combined chart and board represents a compact assemblage wherein said board is subvely rigid chart, said} chart having op 6 stantially and uniformly no thicker than said valley is deep.

5. The construction set forth in claim 3 in which said combined chart and board represents a compact assemblage wherein the exposed top surface portion of said board is coplanar with the raised surface portions of said chart.

6. The construction set forth in claim 3 in which said chart is provided with a comparative- 1y thin floor below its valley, said floor being substantially no thicker than said valley is deep.

THOMAS BARTON SILER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

